ELECTIONS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
A. Elections Board
- The Elections Board will organize and administer all SGA and Office of the Dean of Students sanctioned elections.
- Composition and Selection - The Elections Board will be composed of seven people: two (2) Office of the Dean of Students staff members appointed by the Dean of Students, one (2) faculty, one (1) ex-officio staff representative from the Student Life Committee to be appointed by the committee chairperson, and two (2) students appointed by the Vice President for Student Affairs. Students must not be candidates for office nor participating in campaigns in any fashion.
- Date and Term of Appointment: These individuals will be appointed no later than the tenth class day of the fall semester each year; all terms of appointment are for one academic year.
- Chairperson: The Dean of Students will appoint one of the Elections Board members as chairperson. He or she will vote only in the event of a tie.
- Duties of the Elections Board
• i. To organize and administer all SGA and Office of the Dean of Students sanctioned elections.
• ii. To make available a copy of the election rules, procedures, and dates to all candidates.
• iii. To organize and supervise candidate orientation meetings.
• iv. To certify qualifications of candidates.
• v. To prepare a ballot listing all eligible candidates for each selected office.
• vi. To administer all aspects of election day voting.
• vii. To conduct a voter education campaign on campus prior to election day.
• viii. To post a list (in a conspicuous location on election day) of those candidates who have withdrawn or have been otherwise removed from the ballot for eligibility for election.
• ix. To investigate and adjudicate any alleged election campaign violation, Election Day violation, or election protest.
• x. To certify the election results.
• xi. To make an evaluation of sanctioned elections and to recommend to the Student Life Committee any changes in the election rules and regulations that a majority of the Elections Board members deem appropriate.
• xii. The Board reports to the Vice President for Student Affairs through the Dean of Students.
B. Candidates
1. Qualifications
- A student for the semester in which he or she files a Statement of Intent and during his or her term of office must be enrolled as a full-time student at the University of Alabama . A full-time student is defined as 12 semester hours for undergraduates, 12 semester hours for law school students, 9 hours for graduate or professional students, or as defined by the university registrar and/or graduate school as full-time students.
- A candidate may seek more than one office in a given election but may be seated in only one position should the candidate win both seats.
- All candidates for student government offices must be in good academic and disciplinary standing with The University of Alabama and must remain in this status during his or her term of office.
2. Candidate Eligibility
- All undergraduate students seeking a position in the Student Senate must have an overall cumulative grade point average from The University of Alabama of not less than 2.30 on a 4.0 scale. Undergraduate candidates must have earned at least 12 credit hours at The University of Alabama.
- All law students seeking a position in the Student Senate must have an overall cumulative grade point average from The University of Alabama of not less than 2.50 on a 4.0 scale and have earned at least twelve credit hours from The University of Alabama.
- All graduate students seeking a position in the Student Senate must have an overall cumulative grade point average from the University of Alabama of not less than 3.00 on a 4.0 scale. Graduate candidates must have earned at least 9 credit hours from The University of Alabama.
- Any graduate or law school candidate whose undergraduate degree was earned from The University of Alabama is exempted from the credit hour requirement, provided his or her undergraduate grade point average at The University of Alabama was at least 2.30 on a 4.0 scale and he or she currently has the appropriate graduate or law school grade point average.
- All undergraduate students seeking an Executive Office must have an overall grade point average from The University of Alabama of not less than 2.30 on a 4.0 scale. Undergraduate candidates must have earned at least 36 credit hours with at least 12 of them from The University of Alabama.
- All law students seeking an executive office must have a cumulative overall grade point average from The University of Alabama of not less than 2.50 on a 4.0 scale and have earned at least 12 credit hours from The University of Alabama.
- All graduate students seeking an executive office must have an overall grade point average from The University of Alabama of not less than 3.00 on a 4.0 scale. Graduate candidates must have earned at least 9 credit hours from The University of Alabama.
- Any graduate or law school candidate for executive office whose undergraduate degree was earned from The University of Alabama is exempted from the credit hour requirement, provided his or her undergraduate G.P.A. at The University of Alabama was at least 2.30 on a 4.0 scale and he or she currently has the appropriate graduate or law school grade point average.
- All elected members of the executive branch and Student Senate shall be elected according to the procedures stated in Article VI of the Student Government Constitution.
- If a vacancy occurs in an elected executive or legislative office due to resignation, impeachment or failure to maintain full-time academic status or required academic or disciplinary status, the position(s) will be filled according to the provisions of the student government constitution.
C. General University Elections
1. Election Administration
The Elections Board will govern the administration of all University-wide elections.
2. Elections Procedures
A. Statement of Intent
All candidates must sign a Statement of Intent by a date designated by the Elections Board, which contains the following information:
- Name, local mailing address, place of residence, e-mail address, phone number, and student number of the candidate.
- The office, which the candidate seeks.
- The total number of hours attempted and the total number of semester hours of credit earned at The University of Alabama and at any other college or university for which transfer credit has been granted.
- The school or college in which the candidate is enrolled. Candidates in college senate races in the process of changing school or college must confirm their new college by the last day that Statements of Intent may be received.
- Name, address, and phone number of campaign manager, if any.
- An affirmation that the candidate has read and understood the provisions of the Student Government Association Constitution relative to the duties and qualifications of the office he or she seeks.
- An affirmation that the candidate understood, and will comply with all election rules.
- An affirmation that the candidate allows the Elections Board to verify his/her grades, academic record, enrollment status and disciplinary status.
- An affirmation that the candidate allows the Elections Board to release his/her grades, academic record, and enrollment status for voter information.
B. Filing Dates
The period for filing Statements of Intent and Petitions for Candidacy will be set by the Elections Board unless otherwise specified by organizational constitutions.
C. Candidate Orientation
- The Elections Board will determine the time, date, place, and agenda for candidate orientation meetings.
- Ballot positions will be chosen at the candidate orientation meeting by a random drawing. Candidates who are not present, or do not have their campaign manager present, will be excluded from the ballot.
D. Write-In Candidates
- Write-in candidates must meet the minimum qualifications set forth for candidates whose names appear on the ballot.
- If write-in candidates choose to campaign, advertise or otherwise spend money on a campaign, they must comply with the same election regulations (including disclosure reports) as previously registered candidates. Write-in candidates are extended all campaigning privileges including Crimson White and WWW coverage when available. They may also be invited to candidate forums. Their name, however, will not be on the ballot.
E. Campaigning
- Definition: Campaigning includes but is not limited to the following: distributing printed material, including candidate endorsement lists; posting notices on authorized campus bulletin boards; placing paid advertisements in the campus newspaper(s); chalking, according to approved chalking guidelines; making speeches to groups, attending and/or speaking at political rallies, parties or other gatherings sponsored for, or intended to promote one's candidacy for office; door-to-door solicitation; e-mail notification (see rules on spamming prohibition); telephone solicitation; and other forms of verbal and written expression of one's candidacy for office and qualifications/experience ambitions/ platform for that office.
- Campaigning may begin two weeks prior to the scheduled election date unless otherwise specified by the Elections Board.
- Although a candidate's public announcement of intent to run for office is considered campaigning, public announcements can be made according to the following restrictions:
i. Public announcements must be made during a time period established by the Elections Board.
ii. The activities surrounding the announcement may last no longer than one hour.
iii. Banners and other campaign materials may be displayed thirty minutes prior to and after the announcement and only in the immediate area of the announcement.
iv. Announcement parties, receptions, dinners, luncheons and other social functions are prohibited until the official campaign period begins, two weeks prior to the election.
4. Organizations endorsing candidates must comply with all campaign rules and regulations.
F. Disclosure
- All candidates are required to make full disclosure of
i. campaign funds and/or contributions, including money and services and
ii. an itemized budget of actual campaign expenses.
- Candidates will receive disclosure forms for reporting at candidate orientation.
- All candidates must maintain records showing the amount and source of campaign contributions as well as the amount and recipient of any expenditure.
- All candidates must file a report with the Elections Board listing campaign contributions and expenditures once a week, each week, from the date they announce candidacy.
G. Rules Governing Campaign Literature and Materials
- All regulations as outlined in the Student Handbook are to be followed. Specified parts which pertain to student elections include, but are not limited to, “Use of University Space, Facilities, and Amplification Equipment,” “Advertisements, Co-sponsorship, Printed Material, Solicitation,” and “Personal and Organizational Misconduct.”
- Campaign materials may be distributed only at a place of residence or outside of a building on campus, or posted on authorized bulletin boards, and may not be affixed to any other surface, or left in any building, classroom, or any other public building on or off campus or on automobiles.
- So long as equal space and facilities are made available to all candidates running for the same office, any publication or display board may be used in connection with campaign advertising. Commercial billboards are prohibited. Personal campaigning and campaign materials (including badges and T-shirts) may be conducted/distributed on election day
- A candidate is responsible for the actions of anyone campaigning on his or her behalf. Therefore, candidates must submit for registration purposes to the Elections Board Chairperson copies of any authorized campaign materials to be used in the campaign.
- This material must be submitted to the Office of the Dean of Students at least 24 hours prior to distributing or posting. The material(s) will be on file with the Elections Board in case of any alleged violations of election rules.
- A campaign-spending limit of $600 for executive offices and $100 for all other candidates is allowed for the campaign. In the event of a run-off, candidates for executive office will be allowed to spend a maximum additional amount of $100; candidates for legislative offices will be allowed to spend a maximum additional amount of $25. This includes all in kind contributions (i.e. donated services/materials) that may be received. Campaign contributions must be reported to the Chair of the Elections Board on the date campaigning begins. Failure to report financing may result in candidate disqualification.
- All campaign materials must be removed within 24 hours of closing of the polls on election day.
H. Voting Method
Method will be recommended by the Elections Board
(Internet, paper ballots or other) and stipulated by the Dean of Students.
I. Voter Procedures each student wishing to vote will present a valid
University ACTion Card.
J. Write-In Candidates
It is permissible for any qualified voter to write the name (first and last name) of a student whose name does not appear on the ballot, in a designated space of the ballot. The name and office must be specified on the ballot.
K. Election Results
The Elections Board is responsible for supervising the tabulation of ballots.
L. Election Contests and Appeal.(1) Any student wishing to contest the results of a student government election must file a petition in writing with the Election Board within two academic calendar days after the release of the election results. The Elections Board will conduct the hearing. The Elections Board will review the petition and render its decision and recommendation on the (2) Appeals of the Elections Board decision may be made to the Student Judicial Board. The Student Judicial Board will review the basis of the appeal and render its decision to the Dean of Students.
D. Homecoming Queen Elections
1. Election Definition
The Homecoming Queen election will be the election of the Homecoming Queen and Court.
2. Candidate Eligibility
Any currently enrolled full-time student, with a minimum 2.5 cumulative overall GPA and a total of 64 hours completed, is eligible to apply for Homecoming Queen.
3. Election Administration
The Elections Board will govern the administration of the Homecoming Queen election.
4. Election Procedures
A. All candidates must file an application or Statement of Intent containing the same information that is required of all elections sanctioned by the Dean of Students.
B. Rules governing voting procedures, campaigning, campaigning dates and campaign literature and materials are the same as rules governing all elections sanctioned by the Office of the Dean of Students.
5. Date
The election will be held on a day during Homecoming Week designated by the Dean of Students.
6. Internet Voting
This will be recommended by the Elections Board and approved by the Dean of Students.
7. Write-In Candidates
A. It is permissible for any qualified voter to write the name (first and last) of a student whose name does not appear on the ballot, in a designated place on the ballot.
B. All write-in candidates must meet the required qualifications for candidate eligibility.
8. Results
A. The Elections Board is responsible.
B. The candidates with five (5) highest vote totals will be the Homecoming Court . In the event the fifth and sixth place candidates tie in the number of votes, the sixth place candidate will also be included in the Court.
C. The candidate with the highest number of votes will be Queen. In the case of a tie for first place, a run-off election will be held no more than two (2) days immediately after the first election to determine the Homecoming Queen.
9. Announcement of Results
The Homecoming Court results will be announced no later than the Homecoming Pep Rally.
10. Election Contests/Appeal
A. A candidate may contest the results of the Homecoming Queen election no later than 12 hours after the announcement of results.
B. The appeal must be made in writing, stating the misconduct or reason(s) for the appeal, and forwarded to the Dean of Students.
C. The Elections Board will review the basis of the appeal and render its recommendation to the Dean of Students.
E. African-American Association, International Student Association and Residence
Hall Association Elections
1. Elections Definition and Jurisdiction
The Constitution and By-Laws of these organizations will govern all aspects of their sanctioned elections.
F. Other Student Organization Elections
1. Elections Definition and Jurisdiction
The Constitution and By-Laws of all other University of Alabama student organizations not mentioned previously will govern their respective elections and candidate qualifications.
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